Skiing boot



Nov. 14, 1961 F- HERUNTER 3,008,250

SKIING BOOT Filed Dec. 18, 1958 IN V EN TOR. FRANZ HERUNTER ATTORNEYUnited States Patent Ofifice 3,ll8,250 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 3,008,250SKIING BOOT Franz Herunter, 12 Rooseveitplatz, Vienna, Austria FiledDec. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 781,323 Claims priority, application AustriaJan. 22, 1%58 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-25) This invention relates to aheel-laced skiing boot having inner and outer uppers. In known skiingboots of this type the heel lacing was arranged on the outer uppers.Such a heel lacing on the outer uppers enables a biasing of the foot inthe boot by urging that part of the foot which is above of the heelforwardly, although the effectiveness of such measure is ratherdoubtful. Various measures such as tension straps and metal hinges inthe boot have been adopted in an attempt to improve the fit of the heelin the boot in order to eliminate lost motion between the foot and theboot and thus to improve the control of the ski. These attempts have nothad any significant success.

The invention resides substantially in that insuch a heel-laced skiing'boot having inner and outer uppers the inner uppers are heel-lacedinside the outer uppers. By providing the heel-lacing directly on theinner uppers inside the outer uppers, the boot, more particularly theinner uppers, can actually be adapted to the heel in width. Thus anylost motion between the foot and boot can be entirely eliminated and thecontrol of the ski is improved. This enables a perfect fitting at theheel of ready-made boots not made to measure. An advantage which isobtained even with exactly fitting boots made to measure resides in thatthis heel lacing provided on the inner uppers ensures temporarily a verytight fit at the heel and that this fit may be loosened unless it isrequired for a downhill run. In connection with skiing boots havinginner uppers extending upwardly above the outer uppers it has alreadybeen suggested to provide a lacing at the rear at the upper end of theinner uppers. That suggestion, however, does not disclose lacing theinner uppers adjacent to the heel inside the outer uppers and the lacingat the upper end of the inner uppers does not give the desired efiect ofimproving the fit of the heel in the boot but enables only an improvedfit of the boot above the ankle so that the hold of the ankle portion isimproved and a penetration of snow into the boot at the top rim of theuppers is prevented. The firmer hold of the ankle part does not improvethe control of the ski during a downhill run as is enabled by the lacingof the inner uppers adjacent to the heel as is provided according to theinvention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the construction is such thatthe inner uppers have adjacent to the heel a vertical slot whichterminates below the top edge of the inner uppers and is suitablycovered on the inside and which has spaced edges embraced by the sidesof U-shaped clip-like eyelets which are known per se, and the curvedends or saddles of which receive the lace and extend approximatelyparallel to the slot edges in the cavity defined by the slot. This slotprovides a cavity in the inner uppers which may be, e.g. 1 /2 to 2 cm.wide and the depth of which corresponds to the thickness of the leatherof the inner uppers and in which the lace with the eyes is nowaccommodated. The depth of this cavity is sufficient to accommodate thelace, consisting, e.g., of a cord or ribbon, in such a manner that it isnot compressed even when the boot is closed so that the lace can beretightened even when the boot is closed. These U-shaped eyelets areknown per se in connection with inner uppers but have previously beenused only on the instep side. Because the U-shaped eyelets minimize thereversing of the lace, there is no dilficulty to retighten the lace whenthe boot is closed and, e.g., the ends of this lace of the inner uppersmay extend outwardly through openings or eyelets in the outer uppers torender these ends accessible. The slot of the inner uppers is preferablycovered on the inside by a tongue, which may be cushioned, and which isconnected at its upper and lower ends to the inner uppers, but it isfree at its longitudinal edges. Thus, the width of the slot may bereduced or increased by the heel lacing without any formation of anunevenness on the inside of the boot, which would adversely affect thefit.

In the skiing boot according to the invention the heel part of the outeruppers may be continuous because this will not adversely affect themanipulation of the heel lacing of the inner uppers. Alternatively, anadditional heel lacing may be provided on the outer uppers.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing withreference to embodiments shown by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation view of the closed skiing boot;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the boot of FIG. 1, with the outer uppersbroken away to show the inner uppers;

FIG. 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken along lines III-III ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in horizontal section of the inner uppers taken on lineIV-IV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of a closed skiing boot in a modifiedembodiment.

The inner uppers 1 and the outer uppers 2 form in a manner known per sepractically two boots arranged one in the other. At the rear, above theheel, the inner uppers have a slot 3, the edges 4 and 5 of which arespaced from each other. distance between the edges 4 and 5, may be about1 /2 to 2 cm. or more. The slot edges 4 and 5 are embraced by the sides6 of U-shaped clip-like eyelets 7, the curved ends or saddles 8 of whichextend approximately parallel to the slot edges 4 and 5. As best seen inFIGS. 1 and 3, lace 9 consisting, e.g., of a waxed cord, extends throughthese eyelets 10 in the inner uppers, then through holes 11' in a tongue11 disposed between the inner and outer uppers, and finally througheyelets 12 in the outer uppers. Because this lace is only reversed in asingle plane by the U-shaped eyelets 7 and the cavity formed by the slot3 is so wide that the lace is not or hardly under compression, the lacecan easily be retightened from the outside. For the reason this lace maybe tightened to reduce the width of the slot 3 and ensure a tight fit ofthe heel in the boot.

The crossing and recrossing of lace 9 in a single plane permitted by theuse of U-shaped eyelets 7, rather than having the lace lie in severalplanes as in the ordinary lacing arrangement, greatly reduces the forcerequired to tighten the lace. This feature is of particular value sincethe lace must be tightened from the outside of the outer uppers when theboots are being worn by the skier.

The slot '3 is covered on the inside by a cushioned tongue 13, which isconnected at its lower end 14 and its upper end 15 to the inner uppers1, e.g., by sewing. The side edges 16 of this tongue 13 freely engagethe inner uppers so that this tongue will not resist a reduction orincrease of the width of the slot 3.

The outer uppers 2 may be continuous at the rear. In an illustrativeembodiment shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing, however, these outer uppersare also heel-laced, a lace 17 extending through eyelets 18 in the outeruppers. A heel of the outer uppers may be laced independently of theheel of the inner uppers.

What I claim is:

1. A skiing boot comprising inner and outer uppers, said inner upperhaving a vertical slot on the rear thereof The width of this slot, i.e.,the V I r 3 adjacent the heel spaced from the top thereof, said verticalslot having opposite edges laterally spaced from. each other, eyeletmeans extending laterally into said slot from said opposite edges, saideyelet means including supporting 7 surfaces lying in said slot topermit independent lacing of said inner upper in the heel regionthereof, and means on said outer upper for receiving lace means forconstricting the outer upper on the foot of the wearer.

2. A skiing boot as defined in claim 1 in which said slot is providedwith a tongue on the inside surface thereof, said tongue being connectedat its upper and lower ends to the inner uppers, but being free at itsvertical edges.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GoldenOct. 9, 1906 Miller Feb. 9, 1937 FOREXGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 11, 1934Switzerland Mar. 16, 1950 Austria Oct. 25, 1956

